Good News. Labor deal is 95.632% complete

[PosImpos]

Good news: 95% done.

Bad news: 5% will take 4-5 months.

[slamdunk]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

[Interceptor]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

Logical result of this one is that you eventually get to 0%, lose the ability to escalate, and end up painted into a corner.

[Fafnir]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

That's a strategy for cancelling the season and having to reset negotiations after you've done that.

If that is/was Stern's goal or he was indifferent to playing basketball this year that'd be an effective hardline approach.

However Stern has a sizeable contingent of owners who desparately want to play basketball right now. Miami's owner is confirmed as one, and the Buss family is another likely one. Stern cannot afford to craft a bargaining strategy that would alienate them that dramatically.

[throwedoff]

yo I cant even get excited for these meeting like the one allegedly planned for Saturday I get more frustrated wit the let downs of no progress being made in these

[Roy H.]

yo I cant even get excited for these meeting like the one allegedly planned for Saturday I get more frustrated wit the let downs of no progress being made in these

No doubt.  I swore I wouldn't get my hopes up last time, only to set myself up for a huge stomach punch.

[slamdunk]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

Logical result of this one is that you eventually get to 0%, lose the ability to escalate, and end up painted into a corner.

I can't imagine that it would get that far. The players would likely cave before it even got to 45%.

[Fafnir]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

Logical result of this one is that you eventually get to 0%, lose the ability to escalate, and end up painted into a corner.

I can't imagine that it would get that far. The players would likely cave before it even got to 45%.

No they wouldn't once his threat got to that point the players would conclude that there wouldn't be any point in continuing to talk with the owners till next season started to roll around.

Hardball negotiating by cutting down your own offer like that is great in movies, or in situations where you don't stand to lose much by not making the deal. The league as a whole stands to lose an awful lot by not playing this season.

[Fafnir]

yo I cant even get excited for these meeting like the one allegedly planned for Saturday I get more frustrated wit the let downs of no progress being made in these

No doubt.  I swore I wouldn't get my hopes up last time, only to set myself up for a huge stomach punch.

The fact that they have already bridged the majority of the gap makes me hopeful, but I'm avoiding the nitty gritty of the negotiations.

[throwedoff]

yo I cant even get excited for these meeting like the one allegedly planned for Saturday I get more frustrated wit the let downs of no progress being made in these

No doubt.  I swore I wouldn't get my hopes up last time, only to set myself up for a huge stomach punch.

I'm not a mathematician or nuthin so I wont number crunch but I'm stunned they cant come to a compromise over 2.5% if everything else is in order it shouldn't be that hard smh. This hurts cuz I was real young during the last lockout nd didn't understand things i do now, all I know is that the NBA lost a lot of casual fans coming off one of their best seasons

[slamdunk]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

That's a strategy for cancelling the season and having to reset negotiations after you've done that.

I wouldn't be afraid to cancel the season. The longer this thing goes on the more likely it is that the players will crack. I'm all in favor of waiting as long as is necessary. Over the long-term it will be worth it.

[Celtics4ever]

I think Hunter has an ego which really hurts his negotiating skills.  Fisher seems like he would bite on 50%.   50% is fair as it's a split.  If it's true the league is not viable as it stands they need to get their shop in order.

The NBA isn't as popular as baseball or football.  I think this strike is really going to hurt them.

[Interceptor]

I think this strike is really going to hurt them.

It's a lockout, not a strike.

[indeedproceed]

If I was David Stern, I'd offer the players 49% and give them a week to accept. If they don't then the offer drops to 48%, then 47%, 46% and so on every week thereafter.

That's a strategy for cancelling the season and having to reset negotiations after you've done that.

I wouldn't be afraid to cancel the season. The longer this thing goes on the more likely it is that the players will crack. I'm all in favor of waiting as long as is necessary. Over the long-term it will be worth it.

How is it 'worth it' to you to have the players make less $?

[nickagneta]

Couple of things, why would anyone think it was worth it to them for the players to have to come up with less money or for the season to be shut down?

Are ticket prices suddenly going to plummet? Are concessions and parking suddenly going to have price cuts? Are you now going to be able to afford a real Pierce and Rondo NBA Properties Official jersey without having to take out a second mortgage on your house?

Second, remember that a 50/50 split on BRI doesn't mean the players are getting 50% of all NBA generated revenue. the owners get to not share 60% of proceeds from arena signage,
60% of proceeds from luxury suites, 50-55% of proceeds from arena naming rights, and all expansion fees incurred. I don't know what the exact breakup is but I have seen estimates that this can total, depending on year, anywhere from 2-5% of total revenue generated by the NBA.

And none of this includes other business ventures that owners might be making outside of the NBA that is tied into the NBA like local restaurants, hotels, bars, novelty stores not directly related to the team and a host of other things.